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the more mispelled words and poor grammar a message or profile contains, the greater the opportunity for misunderstanding, or at the very least it can make reading so difficult that you feel like ignoring it. I guess however if your style of english is similar then it will clear to you without concious thought, french speakers understand french, german speakers understand german. but fear not fellow fishesa recently leaked memo from Microsoft to POF reveals that from next month everyone signing up will recieve free copies of Word so if they have any doubts about been able to spell at least 90% of the words they want to use correctly, they can quickly edit the posting in word first and then paste it across. simple eh.

love and peacehug someone new today regards from 40, defender of the faith, the weak and the ridiculous.

I respond to people who mispelled a word or two. I wrote this one woman who wrote"I am a adverage woman" I corrected her jokingly and she responded " I wrote that word on purpose and since you corrected me that tells me you are a perfectionist that tells me you cant forgive the little things" Well all is well. I am not perfectionist . I guess its a good thing she responded that way this way I dont pursue that jerk,lol

I wrote this one woman who wrote"I am a adverage woman" I corrected her jokingly

Well, I have to say that I have not once responded to an email I've received with a spelling correction. Like you, I, don't have a problem with a few typos or misspellings. Yes, spelling, grammar, proper English....and the underlying qualities of those who care about those things are important to me. But I have responded to emails that weren't "all that" on that front. It's not the number one thing I look for in a man, and it's not necessarily a deal breaker either. It's kind of case by case thing for me.

Frankly, if I sent someone an email and he responded with a spelling correction, I would think twice too.

It's bizarre that many contributors to this thread equate basic spelling with "perfectionism". Does saying 2+2=4 make me an advanced mathematician? Does tying my shoes correctly make me a fashion maven? Does washing my hands before a meal make me an obsessive-compulsive germophobe?

The answer, of course, is no. I wash my hands simply so they'll be clean before I eat. I strive for correct arithmetic so I can, among other things, balance a chequebook. And I tie my shoes so I don't trip & fall flat on my face. Careful writers want to write clearly because it is a basic skill in good communication. The key word here is BASIC.

Apologists for bad spelling & grammar need to realize it is not a matter of perfectionism, but it is about maintaining a basic skill. The seemingly finicky writers on PoF are doing them a small favour. I'm grateful when someone mentions that my shoe is untied. Ditto when someone calls me up for 2+2=5. And I want to hear about it if I make a basic spelling misteak!

I know that my grammar is not as good as it could be and I don't expect perfection from others either. I do expect your grammar to be at least as good as the average 7th grader. Simple mistakes don't bother me but an absence of punctuation drives me insane.

As for misspelled words I am very accepting of mistakes in instance messaging as there is not time to spell check but otherwise fix the red squiggly line before you send it. I'll still write back if you don't but it does reflect poorly on the author.

Bad spelling and grammer on the internet used to make me cringe but after a few years I have more or less become used to it and would not dismiss a person because of it. (Unless its text speak which is a different matter!!)

I have come to realise how wide spread poor English is. In my job, I am working in an office with people who have degrees and are senior to me, yet they cannot spell for toffee? However, Mathematics is my downfall so who am I to judge? I have come to accept that poor spelling and grammer is not a true indication of a persons good character, interesting personality, or success.

Indeed there are many people who spelling and grammer is impeccable, but whose personality is dull, boring and predictable. I know who I would rather spend time with

Let me think about this... No wait lets not bother being ridiculous this is the most laudable and insane concept I have thus far heard on this site.To consider a persons worth or ability to communicate just from the typed words of a keyboard and deleting messages that don’t have full grammatical poise and decent spelling is looking down your nose at people whom could be 1. Insanely wealthy - have met a scruffy looking poorly spelling fellow that is literally able to buy anything he wants.2. Skilled in more intimate encounters - such as spoken words and body language. My best example here would be those whom are dyslexic.3. People feeling low already that may just take this one rude gesture, as the signal the world no longer needs them anymore and decide to do something of a foolish nature.

While I agree poorly spelt letters are an annoyance to read consider more than just this cover and be polite as you never know who can effect a positive change in your life.That said im glad those who delete the poorly spelt word messages do such things as this to me indicates a much deeper issue the person has which cannot be so simply cured by a short proof read and spell check.

I agree with you wholeheartedly.Arent we here to meet someone special?Who gives a rats arse if they cant spell.I never finished High School though its none of anyones business,but I was always good at english(sometimes)LOL.All I can say is nobody is perfect and you should take people as they are and stop being a bunch of judging arseholes.Get a life.thanks curlygrl for sticking up for the little fellas.

I've been reading these posts and a thought occured to me. If there's anyone here with dyslexia, can someone briefly explain what it affects in a person, and whether someone who's dyslexic has problems with grammar/spelling skills? It's just one day I received an email from a guy who says he "suffers from dyslexia", hence the bad grammar and spelling. I wasn't sure whether to reply or not...

But back to original question, yes nothing worse than having to try and decipher an email O_o... Totally missing the point of online dating. A few misspelt words are ok from time to time, but if they are things like your/you're and where/were/wear then its a turn off and almost gets on my nerves, because bad spelling, grammar and punctuation are pet peeves of mine lol.

Well since i dispised english class in school. I do not see the problem with i verses I , the point i am trying to get acrossed is quite clear and if a few typos and or the lower case i when it should be uppercase is just to anal for me, It is just communication and chatting, Not a buisness proposal. It has no bearing in the least on how someone communicates offline compared to online.

I can't help it, but my B.A. is in English Literature, and I'm a published author .. .so for me, the written word is sacred.If a man botches is too much I write him off asap.I don't need a man to be the next Hemingway, but I do need him to pay attention to his grammer...

Anyone else see the ironic humor in this?

If anyone can comprehend what a person is typing,then what's the problem?

The problem is that, sometimes, you can’t comprehend what the person has written.

There may be more indications of a person’s overall intellect but being able to put one’s thoughts into words is a major component, I think. And it’s the nature of language that dictates that being effective in communication means others have to be able to comprehend your meaning. Proper spelling and grammar are vital to the success of any language. I hope! Imagine if you’re trying to assemble some complicated product and the instruction manual is full of misspellings, misapplied words, and weird syntax. Oops – I forgot…most of them are!

If I were learning a different language, I wouldn’t assume that the native speakers would know what I mean if I don’t know the correct words. We should have the same consideration for English. I don’t think it’s some elitist imposition. Those who claim a higher level of intelligence but say they haven’t mastered grammar and spelling can still rise to the occasion – without great expense or tremendous suffering. No one can force you but neither can anyone stop you if it’s what you want to do.

I love reading well-formed correspondence. I think it – coming from a woman – is sexy as hell. She can be telling me to go f*ck myself but if it’s done with style, I’m going to be impressed (maybe I’d even stalk her for a bit to get a glimpse of her very well-written restraining order).

The thought of it is getting me turned on. Think I’ll go masturbate over my dictionary…

Jazz Fan, you hit it right on the spot. I wouldn't be surprised if the average 15 year old of today has lower literacy skills to the average 15 year old from 5 years ago. It's not like those people didn't go to school. Just depends on whether they absorbed what they'd been taught. As for internet speak, I admit I don't always use a capital "i" when using MSN, nor put in commas where necessary, but at least the message still gets through. For example I might type "i dont think its a good idea to go on saturday". Easily understood, no?

And I agree with Classyfied- I don't care to date a doctor/lawyer/million dollar businessman, so the whole idea of me possibly missing out on dating high earners just because I dismiss their bad literacy skills doesn't work for me. In fact as a "high profile" person it's more of a turn off if his literacy skills match those of a primary student... you'd think he could at least better spend his profits on English lessons or something...As an opening email to a potential relationship, they should at least take the effort to check their email before sending.

at work my secretary checks all my business letters before they go out...i don't have the time to go over everything with a fine-tooth comb before they're sent...........besides it's amazing how the brain compensates and sees things correctly, when at times it's not

often when i write on the poetry forums it's spontaneous and don't catch the errors

i read many correspondence with bad grammar (sometimes on purpose , i might add!)nope, i don't judge on misspelling or grammar...i judge on heart and soul...

i am the queen of typos...and have long accepted that....if that bothers you..then it bothers....you

and for those of you who feel grammar and spelling are important, then it's important, to you(and i respect that)enjoy the dayrosie.

******oh, and john steinbeck did his best work when his second wife, carol, did his editing...

You might be suprized. Just because he may not spell they way you like it he could be a very nice person. I would say someone that judges others in anyway, is a very small minded person, and is not very smart in many ways themselves.

Well, thank you for that fine forensic analysis, Mr. Kindheart. The fact is, however, that everyone judges other people in one way or another; in point of fact, what you said is a judgement.

How do you feel about the "one long string of text" emails? You know, the ones with no punctuation, and no capital letters.

Those are very, very hard to read. Considering that this is the internet and the primary organ used is our eye, having a hard-t0-read "string of text" email means that the one who wrote it will not get a second look from me.

a difficulty with reading or writing that some people have because they are unable to see words as meaningful shapes or the differences between letters

My daughter is dyslexic. I remember one time when she was growing up, I asked her to put the TV on channel 13. She walked over there, stood for a minute, then said, "Is that 3-1 or 1-3?" Dyslexics often transpose letters and numbers, making written words look like gibberish to them (b and d is one example). It's a visual perception problem, meaning the brain doesn't correctly interpret what the eyes are seeing.

It can make learning challenging and quite difficult for dyslexics, including my daughter. She recently turned down a job because she would have had to handle money and when she gets stressed (as in under pressure running a cash register), she gets the numbers mixed up. She figured she'd be giving people the wrong change.

She spells pretty well though and doesn't let it stop her from striving. A previous poster said it very well; it's about basic spelling, basic writing ~ not perfectionism. I am far from perfect on the grammar and syntax front, but I do my best and strive to be accurate in what I do. That's the quality I like in another person, not perfectionism.

I totally agree with you. I don't mind a misspelled word or two, especially the words that are easily misspelled, after all my spelling is not perfect but there is a limit and I find it disrespectful to not make an effort to send an e mail that one does not have to strain to read. I use the spell check, it is not so difficult.Laurel

I agree with you to a point, I am sure I make spelling errors, I know I am not perfect and I may at times interchange to and too. What bothers me is not the small mistakes but when the mistakes are so bad that it becomes hard to read , when you have to wonder if the person ever sat in a class room. For example i gots to get me some nail pant correction I am going to the store to buy some nail polish.Laurel

I try and cut the person a lot of slack here. This is casual communication and as such my English teacher would have a fit with my writing. We now live in the day of tex- messaging. You know u= you-- etc. what to do? Glad i'm not a english teacher!

Bad spelling and grammer on the internet used to make me cringe but after a few years I have more or less become used to it and would not dismiss a person because of it. (Unless its text speak which is a different matter!!)

I have come to realise how wide spread poor English is. In my job, I am working in an office with people who have degrees and are senior to me, yet they cannot spell for toffee? However, Mathematics is my downfall so who am I to judge? I have come to accept that poor spelling and grammer is not a true indication of a persons good character, interesting personality, or success.

Indeed there are many people who spelling and grammer is impeccable, but whose personality is dull, boring and predictable. I know who I would rather spend time with

im so glad you are all perfect in any and every way. im dyslexic and i have been to college and own my own bussiness i love to chat and its hard enough to find nice people out there that dont judge on spellings ect. i find myself asking a few questions

1 einstein was a wonderful scientist would you judge him ?2 if i was blonde with big boobs would you be asking for my cv?3 everyone deserves a chance, we are obviously all single eles we wouldnt be here.so lighten up and relax and enjoy people because we all have faults.

For heaven's sake, you all need to GROW the F...K up!! Just because a person is not a good speller or an inept typist, doesn't mean that he/she is not worth giving consideration. Remember, you are on a FREE site, where anything is possible!